free standing canopy suggestions?
- Thread starter trae
- Start date
I’ve put em up by myself no problem. The problem was how flimsy they were. Any advice for a better option? I don’t want a vehicle awning.
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I second the EZ up or similar. I found that I didn't have to get the industrial commercial grade awning that I keep up all year around at my house. I got the lesser grade EZ up.
It's a lot lighter (the angled legs version). As mentioned above, you get what you pay for, but I don't feel it's necessary for 6-10x per year.
You buy can some walls for it if you really want to. When I leave the campsite, I detach the 4 corners, fold up the material and tuck it in between the poles and you don't have to worry about if parachuting away.
It's a lot lighter (the angled legs version). As mentioned above, you get what you pay for, but I don't feel it's necessary for 6-10x per year.
You buy can some walls for it if you really want to. When I leave the campsite, I detach the 4 corners, fold up the material and tuck it in between the poles and you don't have to worry about if parachuting away.
rayra
Expedition Leader
EZ-ups are pretty heavy and bulky for what they provide. Consider a temporary vehicle-attached awning. I sewed mine with relative ease and it wads up into a stuff sack about the size of a large cantaloupe. Plus poles.
I use an ez-up at home for shade from the hot sun while wrenching on vehicles. I don't bother lugging it around unless I'm camping in a national park for a few days.
I use an ez-up at home for shade from the hot sun while wrenching on vehicles. I don't bother lugging it around unless I'm camping in a national park for a few days.
EZ-ups are pretty heavy and bulky for what they provide. Consider a temporary vehicle-attached awning. I sewed mine with relative ease and it wads up into a stuff sack about the size of a large cantaloupe. Plus poles.
I use an ez-up at home for shade from the hot sun while wrenching on vehicles. I don't bother lugging it around unless I'm camping in a national park for a few days.
Post #4, OP stated he doesn't want a vehicle awning.
rayra
Expedition Leader
No excrement, Sherlock. I'm presuming he's talking about the ridiculously overpriced bulky semi-permanently attached awnings that are a prime fashion accessory of the 'overlanding' fad-branding.
The design idea I offered costs <$100 for materials and is tied on at the time of putting it up. If you can't see the big difference between the two, well I can't help you.
eta but I'll try to help some others. www.ripstopbytheroll.com Good company, fast order fulfillment. Frequent material sales. Lightweight ripstop or silnylon - a similar lightweight silicone-coated water resistant fabric - can be had for $3.50-$5 per roll-yard. That's 15sq'. That's .24-.33 per square foot. Some paracord, a couple cord locks, a couple poles and all the fabric you need to sow an awning of any reasonable size you want, for less than $100.
Heck with just some homebrew adjustable poles and cordage you can make a decent awning out of any size grommeted tarp. Do that for under $50. And take up no more room or weight than a 3-man dome tent.
And it won't crush an inattentive / inexperienced helper's fingers like an EZ-UP will.
A Tepui mounted awning is ~$300. A bigger name brand batwing attached awning is $750. You can make your own awning pretty inexpensively. Ripstopbytheroll even has screen mesh, so you can make bug-blocking side walls.
The design idea I offered costs <$100 for materials and is tied on at the time of putting it up. If you can't see the big difference between the two, well I can't help you.
eta but I'll try to help some others. www.ripstopbytheroll.com Good company, fast order fulfillment. Frequent material sales. Lightweight ripstop or silnylon - a similar lightweight silicone-coated water resistant fabric - can be had for $3.50-$5 per roll-yard. That's 15sq'. That's .24-.33 per square foot. Some paracord, a couple cord locks, a couple poles and all the fabric you need to sow an awning of any reasonable size you want, for less than $100.
Heck with just some homebrew adjustable poles and cordage you can make a decent awning out of any size grommeted tarp. Do that for under $50. And take up no more room or weight than a 3-man dome tent.
And it won't crush an inattentive / inexperienced helper's fingers like an EZ-UP will.
A Tepui mounted awning is ~$300. A bigger name brand batwing attached awning is $750. You can make your own awning pretty inexpensively. Ripstopbytheroll even has screen mesh, so you can make bug-blocking side walls.
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rayra
Expedition Leader
Well a cheap chinese EZ-up works well enough and with more than one person really are EZ to put up. And not that hard solo, once you learn a few simple tricks, mostly anchoring one corner and then pulling the diagonally opposing corner away. The fabric caps are the fragile part, but just put those on / take them off when the frame is not quite fully expanded and it goes pretty easy. And when it eventually tears / fails, it's real easy to sew up a new one, especially if you retain the damaged one to use as a pattern. 
My walmart 'Ozark' $50 is working fine.
Buy some tent stakes / nails too, to nail the feet to the earth in the great outdoors, as heavy as they are they try to take flight in gusty winds. The fabric top makes a swell wind trap / parachute. They're usually unvented. I learned that the hard way on a desert / BLM shooting trip when the hot afternoon winds kicked up. Good Times. We used some ammo cans to weight the feet down, but the wind just kept coming / intensifying and we bailed on the whole thing. Standing with your back to the sandstorm trying to eat a grilled hot dog was no bueno.
My walmart 'Ozark' $50 is working fine.
Buy some tent stakes / nails too, to nail the feet to the earth in the great outdoors, as heavy as they are they try to take flight in gusty winds. The fabric top makes a swell wind trap / parachute. They're usually unvented. I learned that the hard way on a desert / BLM shooting trip when the hot afternoon winds kicked up. Good Times. We used some ammo cans to weight the feet down, but the wind just kept coming / intensifying and we bailed on the whole thing. Standing with your back to the sandstorm trying to eat a grilled hot dog was no bueno.
The Artisan
Adventurer
Look at https://www.eurmax.com/premium-10x10-pop-up-canopy-with-walls.html
The non basic models use sliding hex tubing.
Kevin
The non basic models use sliding hex tubing.
Kevin
We have a Clam Corp shelter. Like the EZ-UP, it's big and bulky to pack but it is great in wind and sets up fast. https://www.clamoutdoors.com/pages/quickset
Wallygator
Adventurer
I just bought this but do not have it yet. I also wasn't sold on a dedicated vehicle awning. This Slumberjack seems to be very versatile and can free stand or be set up in many different configurations. I also have an EZ UP type canopy I use for the dirt bikes at the track but as mentioned they suck setting up by yourself and will get destroyed in any strong winds. Hopefully the Slumberjack was a good choice. I got it for $99 with free shipping from Amazon.
https://slumberjack.com/roadhouse-tarp/
Also looks like they have a new version that has a screen attached.
https://slumberjack.com/roadhouse-screen-tarp/
https://slumberjack.com/tents-shelters/
https://slumberjack.com/roadhouse-tarp/
Also looks like they have a new version that has a screen attached.
https://slumberjack.com/roadhouse-screen-tarp/
https://slumberjack.com/tents-shelters/
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I use an EZ Up with four solid walls or four mosquito net walls and love it. I have the heavy unit that is probably close to 50 lbs or more and it's very sturdy. It lives in the Kamparoo and that's about the only time I'll set it up at a basecamp. I think the mosquito net feature is the best during the mosquito/fly season which I presume to be quite common in the PNW but not so much here in the SW. When anchored properly, it's rock solid. I think I've had mine since 2010, maybe? It can be setup by one person but it'll take a while to spread apart the four legs then raise each corner at a time. With two people, I say 15 min tops?
I love my Batwing with two walls for vehicle mounted setup. A local buddy bought a Chinese 270º and he says that it's not worth the money given the poor construction methods and materials used.
I love my Batwing with two walls for vehicle mounted setup. A local buddy bought a Chinese 270º and he says that it's not worth the money given the poor construction methods and materials used.
Nice. Do you know what model you have? Amazon has a bunch...
I was surprised by the price tag, but they offer spare parts for everything. that's pretty cool.